PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE 5-ALPHA-DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE 3-ALPHA(BETA)-HYDROXYSTEROID DEHYDROGENASE FROM HUMAN PROSTATIC CYTOSOL

5-alpha-Dihydrotestosterone 3-alpha(beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [3-alpha(beta)-HSDH] [EC 1.1.1.50/EC 1.1.1.51] which catalyses the conversion of 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5-alpha-DHT) to both 5-alpha-androstane-3-alpha, 17-beta-diol and 5-alpha-androstane-3-beta, 17-beta-diol was purified to an apparent homogeneous state using cytosol of three human hyperplastic prostates by a 4-step purification procedure. After each purification step 3-alpha-HSDH activity was coincident with 3-beta-HSDH activity. On average, specific 3-alpha-HSDH activity was enriched 856-fold, specific 3-beta-HSDH activity 749-fold compared to human prostatic cytosol using anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, gel filtration and affinity chromatography. Examination of the purified enzyme by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) revealed a single protein band with silver staining. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as 33 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and as 28 kDa by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration indicating that the native 3-alpha(beta)-HSDH is a monomer. In the presence of the preferred co-factor, NADPH, the purified enzyme had a mean apparent K(m) for 5-alpha-DHT of 3.9-mu-M and a V(max) of 93.3 nmol (mg protein)-1 h-1 with regard to 3-alpha-HSDH activity, and a K(m) of 6.3-mu-M and a V(max) of 20.6 nmol (mg protein)-1 h-1 with regard to 3-beta-HSDH activity.